Former teacher jailed in indecent liberties with student

Friday

Nov 30, 2012 at 9:30 AMNov 30, 2012 at 4:04 PM

A former Wilmington middle school teacher was jailed Friday morning

By Brian Freskos and F.T. NortonBrian.Freskos@StarNewsOnline.com

In a ground-floor courtroom Friday afternoon, Prosecutor Todd Fennell leaned forward in his chair to speak into a microphone. On a television screen perched in the corner appeared the accused, April Marie Schaefer, a 26-year-old former Wilmington middle school teacher charged the night before with sex crimes. In light of the charges, Fennell asked the presiding judge, Sandra Ray Criner, to double Schaefer's bond from $50,000 to $100,000. Criner took it even further: $500,000. The higher bond was a tacit acknowledgement by the judge of the seriousness of the case, which is now being examined by federal authorities to determine whether Schaefer should be tried in federal court, where she would face a more severe penalty if convicted. It also means Schaefer will likely stay in jail through the duration of her trial. But the tenfold increase may not have had much of a bearing on Schaefer. “I have no comment. I'm not going to bond out,” she responded when the judge asked if she had anything to say before the ruling was made. Wilmington police arrested Schaefer Thursday on charges of indecent liberties with a student, indecent liberties with a child, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and sending obscene material in connection to an alleged relationship with a then 13-year-old girl she met while employed at Roland-Grise Middle School, police said. The girl is now 15.Schaefer taught math and science at the school from Aug. 24, 2010, to Sept. 13, 2011, but had continued to work as a substitute teacher once or twice a month after that time, said New Hanover County Schools spokeswoman Valita Quattlebaum. “She's suspended as of right now. We wouldn't hire her again at this point in time,” Quattlebaum said.The arrest came after police searched her residence in the 4000 block of Lake Avenue Thursday night. Detective Kevin Smith, a spokesman for the Wilmington Police Department, said the charges stem in part from photographs investigators viewed of Schaefer and the girl engaged in acts that supported an indecent liberties charge. He said he did not know what the acts were. Police said the investigation was continuing and more charges were expected. Schaefer appeared in court via video monitor Friday afternoon, wearing a white- and pink-striped jumpsuit that is standard-issue for women at the New Hanover County jail. She told Judge Criner that she intended to hire a private attorney.